Lacing for shoes.



Patenfad ma 20, I901.

I. DANIELS. LACING FOR SHOES. (Applic'ation filed Aug. 3, 18 99.)

(in Model.)

INVENTOR n ace Danie/s. BY 7 4w 0 WITNESSES.

gnu A qmimg NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

IGNACE DANIELS, OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS.

LACINIG FOR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,631, dated March 26,1901.

Application filed August 3, 1899. Serial No. 726,056. (No model;)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IGNACE DANIELS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Haverhill, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, (whose post-office address is 80 Bellevue avenue, same place,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Canvas Bathing-Slippers, of which the following is a specification. 1 I

In the manufacture of all-canvas bathingslippers the cost of putting in eyelets is an item of considerable importance in comparison with the cost of making the rest of the shoe. Moreover, unless an eyelet-facing is stitched on before the eyelets are secured there is great trouble occasioned by eyelets coming out. They are also liable to tip and hurt the feet, particularly if the slipper is 'worn without a stocking. When the slipper is wet, the lacing will stick in the eyelets, thus interfering with the ready removal of the slipper.

The object of myinvention is to produce a canvas bathing-slipper in which all eyelets and hooks are omitted, in which a mode of lacing is provided which will render the slipper m uch easier to lace and unlace, and which may be more cheaply made than if the eyelets were used. In carrying out this object I produce a slipper the upper of which is made in two parts which are connected at their front ends by a seam which runs from the end of the lacing-opening to the toe of the shoe, the other ends being preferably connected by a seam at the back. In cutting the vamp or front portion of the upper I make the portions thereof which include the lacing-opening with.

a wide flap, which is turned under and sewed to the inner side of the upper, thus forming a casing for the lacing. In order that the flap which is turned back may be of sufficient Width for my purpose, I have found it necessary to cut the vamp in two portions and have a seam extend from the bottom of the lacing For a more complete understanding of my invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a view of the port-ion of the vamp which includes the lacing of a canvas shoe, the view being taken from the inner side and the lacing being shown loose. Fig. 2 is a similar view taken from the outside and showing the lacing drawn up. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing one edge of the fold unsewed and turned back.

The vamp is formed in two sections a a, which are sewed together by the seam b,which extends from the toe of the shoe to the V- shaped opening in the vamp which is to be laced. At the point where the seam b ends the two sections arevprovided with flaps or lapels c c, which are turned inwardly at each side of the opening and sewed down, as indicated, by the stitching d d. The lines of stitching d d are made at such a distance from the edges as to provide casings E E, through which a lacing'may be passed. The inner side of each flap 0 c is provided with one or more perforations ff 9 g, located a short distance from the edge of the fold.

The lacing His drawn in as follows: Starting at the top of casing E, the lacing passes through the casing out of the perforation f, thence across into perforation g, thence down in the casing E, out of perforation g, thence across into perforation f, down through the casing E to ,the end thereof and across up through the casing E, out of perforation g, across into perforation f, up through casing E, out of perforation f, across into perforation g, and up through casing E to its top. It will be observed that the lacing does not run double at any point through the casings, but runs double through each perforation.

The lacing may be tightened by simply pulling on the ends thereof, and as it moves readily in the casing the two sections of the vamp may be drawn together with comparatively little effort. After the two sections of the vamp have been drawn together the lacing will be tied in the usual manner.

'To unlace the shoe, the knot is simply untied and the two edges pulled apart. As the perforations f g in the flap are set away from the edge, the edges may meet and overlap slightly when the lacing is drawn tightly.

When the edges meet, the lacing will not be exposed, except at the knot. As the lacing passes around the end of the opening, it will act as a stay and prevent the seams f from ripping. This is an important advantage of this method of lacing.

Obviously the perforations corresponding to the perforations f 9 may be made of any desired number; but for an ordinary bathslipper only one pair of perforations is necessary.

As the lacing extends through both casings from top to bottom, the simple action of drawing the lacing tight and tying it at the top will draw the edges close together, even if the lacing were not crossed at anintermediate point, although if the opening is of any considerable length it is desirable to have the lacing crossed at least once. Obviously the number of lacing-holes will be much fewer with my invention than will be necessary with the ordinary method of lacing, and this is the principal reason why a shoe provided with my means of lacing may be so much more easily laced and unlaced than a shoe provided with the common lacing.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. Aslipperof canvas or other suitable material, having the entire front portion of the upper made of two sections which are of substantially the same shape and are connected by a seam which extends from the middle of the toe of the shoe to the end of the opening to be laced, each of said sections being cut with a wide flap which extends from the rear end of said seam to the top of the opening to be laced, said flaps being folded under and sewed to the inner side of their respective sections so as to form a single continuous casing adjacent each edge which extends from the end of the seam to the end of the opening, said casings being left open at both top and bottom, and a lacing which passes across from the bottom of one casing to the bottom of the other, upwardly through said casings, and out at the top thereof, so that when the lacing is drawn tight and tied at the top the edges of the casings will be drawn together.

2. Aslipper of canvas or other suitable material, having the entire front portion of the upper made of two sections which are of substantially the same shape and are connected by a seam which extends from the middle of the toe of the shoe to the end of the opening to be laced, each of said sections being cut with a flap which extends from the rear end of said seam to the top of the opening to be laced, said flaps being folded under and sewed to the inner side of their respective sections so as to form a single and continuous casing adjacent each opening, said casings beingleftopen at both top and bottom, lacing-holes which pass through the turned-under flaps at a distance from the edgeswhich are formed by turning the flaps under, a lacing which passes through from the lower end of one casing to the lower end of the other, up through each casing, out through opposite holes therein, and in through the opposite holes, then upwardly through the casings and out tli rough the upper ends thereof, whereby, when the ends of the lacing are drawn tight and tied, the edges of the casings will be brought together.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IGNAGE DANIELS. W'itnesses:

LOUIS H. HARRIMAN, M. O. JAQUITH. 

